Extra card suit for card games and method therefor

ABSTRACT

A new, extended card deck and method therefor comprising a standard 52-card deck plus at least one set of thirteen separately valued cards (Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King) having a new card suit capable of being used in various poker and other card games.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to card games and methods therefor and, more particularly, to an extended card deck and method therefor having at least one set of thirteen separately valued cards having an extra card suit (in addition to Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades) that can be used in various poker and other card games for either table or video games.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Card games, such as poker, blackjack, baccarat and the like, are often played both socially and for gambling purposes and are played at a table or on a video game. Virtually all card games played at a table or video game utilize a standard 52-card deck consisting of four sets of thirteen separately valued cards, from low to high in rank: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace (although the ace can also have the value of the lowest card in the deck). Each of the four sets of thirteen cards comes in a different suit: Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades.

[0003] The game of poker is one of the most popular games to utilize a standard 52-card deck. There are many variations of poker, most of which involve each player attempting to achieve a winning five-card hand, except for abbreviated poker games such as three card poker. Some of the variations of poker, both video poker and regular poker, involve jokers or wild cards. Jokers are additional cards added to a standard 52-card deck and can assume the rank or suit of any other card in the deck. Wild cards, like jokers, can be used to assume the value of any card in the deck, however wild cards (such as 2's) are designated from within a standard 52-card deck, and are not added cards, like jokers. In both cases, wild cards and jokers are used to add an exciting and significantly expanded dimension to the game of poker.

[0004] Jokers, wild cards, and other variations of poker have been invented as a response to a growing feeling that standard poker has become somewhat dull and uninteresting. Most variations on poker, however, have utilized either a 52-card deck or at most, up to 4 additional joker cards. These variations have not changed the number of suits (Four: Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades) or substantially changed the number of cards in the deck.

[0005] If a fifth suit was added to the deck, this would add an additional thirteen separately valued cards, each with the fifth suit, thus increasing the size of the deck from 52 cards to 65 cards. Increasing the size of the deck from 52 cards to 65 cards would provide an exciting new dimension to many card games such as poker, blackjack and baccarat. For example, such an increase would more than triple the number of possible five card combinations from the current 52-card deck (there are 8,259,888 possible 5 card combinations with a 65-card deck as opposed to 2,598,960 possible 5 card combinations with a 52-card deck). Such an increase in the number of 5 card combinations would greatly improve the level of excitement when playing a card game. Additionally, a fifth suit could be designated as wild, meaning that either every fifth suited card is a wild card capable of assuming the suit and type of any other card, or, if desired, each fifth suited card's suit could be designated as wild, capable of assuming the suit-type of any other suit. Furthermore, adding additional thirteen card suits beyond five thirteen card suits (i.e. 6, 7, 8 etc. additional thirteen card suits) would still further greatly increase the combinations available to a player, for every game, thereby providing more excitement and interest.

[0006] A need therefore existed for providing a new, exciting variation of card (table and video) games and method that would provide players with, for example, a 65-card deck having thirteen differently ranked cards having at least one extra suit, thus allowing players more ways to achieve various card (table and video) hands.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an extended card deck for table and video games and method therefor comprising a standard 52-card deck plus at least one additional set of thirteen separately valued cards having at least one extra suit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an extended card deck for use in table and video card games is disclosed, comprising, in combination a standard 52 card deck of playing cards, and at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King, the at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new card suit.

[0009] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a video game apparatus using an extended card deck is disclosed, comprising, in combination a video gaming machine, a standard 52 card deck of playing cards for display in the video gaming machine, and at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards for display in the video gaming machine comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King, the at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new card suit.

[0010] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for playing a table and video card game is disclosed, comprising, in combination, the steps of providing a standard 52 card deck of playing cards, and increasing the standard 52 card deck by providing at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King, the at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new card suit.

[0011] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the extended card deck of the present invention showing thirteen separately ranked cards for each of the four standard suits (Diamonds, Hearts, Spades, and Clubs) as well as at least one set of thirteen separately ranked cards having the “extra suit” or additional suit, thereby providing the 65-card deck (the lines between Ace and King are only for purposes of illustration, with each line representing the remaining eleven separately ranked cards).

[0013]FIG. 2A is a top view of, for example, a five card poker hand utilizing the extended card deck of the present invention, showing a straight with the Ace of the additional or “extra suit.”

[0014]FIG. 2B is a top view of a five card poker hand utilizing the extended card deck of the present invention, showing a straight flush with the Ace of the additional or “extra suit,” whereby the suit of the extra suit is wild, allowing the Ace to take on the suit-type of Diamonds, resulting in a straight flush.

[0015]FIG. 2C is a top view of a five card poker hand utilizing the extended card deck of the present invention, showing four-of-a-kind with the Seven of the additional or “extra suit.”

[0016]FIG. 3 is a front view of a video poker gaming machine for use with the extended card deck of the present invention, showing a four-of-a-kind with the Ace of the additional or “extra suit.”

[0017]FIG. 4 is a top view of a card table for use with the extended card deck of the present invention, showing a straight-flush with the Ace of the additional or “extra suit,” whereby the extra suit is a wild card, allowing the Ace to take on the value of any card, in this case the Four of Hearts, resulting in a straight flush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, reference number 10 refers generally to the extended card deck of the present invention. The extended card deck 10 comprises a standard 52 card deck of playing cards 12 plus at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards 14 comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King. Dashed line 15 connotates that multiple additional suits can be used, if desired. The at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards 14 comprises a new card suit or “extra suit” 16. For example, one ADDIT. Suit (additional suit) 16A having thirteen additional playing cards 14A is shown as one of the multiple extra or additional suits.

[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2C, in one embodiment, the set of thirteen cards 14 having the extra suit 16 are treated exactly the same as the other cards making up the standard 52-card deck 12. Referring to FIG. 2A, the Ace of the extra suit 18 has the same value as the Ace of any other suit, giving a player a straight when the player's remaining cards are 2, 3, 4, and 5. Referring to FIG. 2C, the Seven of the extra suit 20 has the same value as the Seven of any other suit, giving a player four-of-a-kind when the player holds three other Sevens. While, in this embodiment, the set of thirteen cards 14 having the extra suit 16 are treated exactly the same as the non-extra suit cards, it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative embodiment of the extended card deck 10 in which a card hand having one or more playing cards with the extra suit 16 defeats an equivalent card hand having non-extra suit playing cards. For example, many video poker gaming machines give bonus awards to a player for receiving a hand of a certain predetermined value. A video poker machine could therefore give a player a bonus award for achieving a predetermined poker hand having one or more cards having the extra suit 16. Additionally, a blackjack hand or baccarat hand with a card from the extra suit could be valued as a better hand than a blackjack or baccarat hand using playing cards from the standard 52 card deck.

[0020] Referring now to FIG. 2B, in another embodiment, the extra suit 16 is treated as a wild suit capable of assuming a suit-type of any other suit. In this embodiment, the Ace of the extra suit 18 may become the Ace of Diamonds, in this figure resulting in a straight flush.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 3, the extended card deck 10 of the present invention can be utilized and displayed by a video poker gaming machine 22, with all of the same advantages of the extended card deck previously described. Card selection is achieved by a random number generator which selects standard and/or extra cards. Keeping or discarding cards that are displayed on the video machine are performed by conventional video game operation techniques.

[0022] Referring now to FIG. 4, in another embodiment, the extra suit 16 is treated as a wild card capable of assuming a value of any other card. In this embodiment, as few as one or as many as all of the thirteen cards 14 of the extra suit 16 can be wild cards capable of assuming the value and suit of any card. Referring to FIG. 4, the Ace of the extra suit 18 may become the Four of Hearts in order to achieve a straight flush when the remaining cards are the Two of Hearts, Three of Hearts, Five of Hearts and Six of Hearts.

[0023] It should be clearly understood that while the extended card deck 10 has been described with reference to poker hands, substantial benefit could be derived from using the extended card deck 10 in other card games, such as black jack, baccarat, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow poker and the like. Additionally, it should be clearly understood that while the extended card deck has been described with one set of thirteen additional cards, substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative embodiment of the extended deck 10 in which more than one set of thirteen additional cards are used (see FIG. 1), expanding the deck, for example, to 78 cards or more.

[0024] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. An extended card deck for use in table and video card games comprising, in combination: a standard 52 card deck of playing cards; and at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King, said at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new card suit.
 2. The extended card deck of claim 1 wherein multiple sets of thirteen additional playing cards each comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King are added to said standard 52 card deck of playing cards, each one of said multiple sets of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new and separate card suit.
 3. The extended card deck of claim 1 wherein said new card suit is valued as a wild suit capable of assuming a suit-type of any other suit.
 4. The extended card deck of claim 1 wherein said new card suit is valued as a wild card capable of assuming a value of any other card.
 5. The extended card deck of claim 1 wherein said extended card deck is used in at least one of poker, blackjack and baccarat games.
 6. The extended card deck of claim 5 wherein a card hand having at least one playing card of said new card suit is treated as better than an equivalent card hand having playing cards without at least one playing card of said new card suit.
 7. A video game apparatus using an extended card deck comprising, in combination: a video gaming machine; a standard 52 card deck of playing cards for display in said video gaming machine; and at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards for display in said video gaming machine comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King, said at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new card suit.
 8. The video game apparatus of claim 7 wherein multiple sets of thirteen additional playing cards for display in said video gaming machine each comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King are added to said standard 52 card deck of playing cards, each one of said multiple sets of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new and separate card suit.
 9. The video game apparatus of claim 7 wherein said new card suit is valued as a wild suit capable of assuming a suit-type of any other suit.
 10. The video game apparatus of claim 7 wherein said new card suit is valued as a wild card capable of assuming a value of any other card.
 11. The video game apparatus of claim 7 wherein said video game apparatus is used in at least one of poker, blackjack and baccarat games.
 12. The video game apparatus of claim 11 wherein a card hand having at least one playing card of said new card suit is treated as better than an equivalent card hand having playing cards without at least one playing card of said new card suit.
 13. A method of playing a table and video card game comprising, in combination, the steps of: providing a standard 52 card deck of playing cards; and increasing said standard 52 card deck by providing at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King, said at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new card suit.
 14. The method of claim 13 including the step of valuing said new card suit as a wild suit capable of assuming a suit-type of any other suit.
 15. The method of claim 13 including the step of valuing said new card suit as a wild card capable of assuming a value of any other card.
 16. The method of claim 13 including the step of providing multiple sets of thirteen additional playing cards each comprising playing cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen and King added to said standard 52 card deck of playing cards, each one of said multiple sets of thirteen additional playing cards comprises a new and separate card suit.
 17. The method of claim 13 including the step of playing said card game with said at least one set of thirteen additional playing cards in at least one of poker, blackjack and baccarat games.
 18. The method of claim 17 including the step of valuing a card hand having at least one playing card of said new card suit as better than an equivalent card hand having playing cards without said at least one playing card of said new card suit. 